Where the Heart Leads
by Keiko Fujiwara
Summary: Edward was found dead, unrecognizable. Four months have passed and Winry is finally putting together pieces of a puzzle that may lead to what her gut is telling her-that Ed is alive. Rated T for now. May change. This is a trial fic. I will only add to it if people request me to. :
1. Chapter 1

**Where the Heart Leads**

**Keiko Fujiwara**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMAB**

**鋼の錬金術****師**

_Winry peered outside her balcony and noticed a figure walking towards her house. She dropped everything and bolted out the door to greet the person she's been longing to see for the past four years. 'Edward…' her heart whispered. _

_But she noticed more people were walking behind the first figure. They were carrying something—a large box of some kind. _

_Her heart skipped a beat, fearing for the worst. As the group approached her, she recognized the man in the front—Brigadier General Roy Mustang. _

'_No!' she mentally screamed as she noticed what exactly the box was. _

"_Miss Rockbell, I'm sorry but we have terrible news for you." The Brigadier General stated. _

_Winry shook her head, not wanting to believe anything she was seeing. _

"_W-we found him just inside our border. He was shot by a Cretian Soldier from the other side. If it wasn't for the golden hair and his red coat, we wouldn't have recognized him. He was gone when we found him." _

_Winry covered her mouth and hyperventilated, praying to whichever god would hear her. 'No! Please! Not him!' _

'_The military will be forming a funeral ceremony tomorrow in the local cemetery. Again, we're sorry for your loss." Mustang stated. _

_Winry suddenly couldn't make sense of the world. She felt like she was drowning from the sudden pain and heartbreak. She collapsed and grabbed ahold of the dirt beneath her, choking with tears. _

"_We'll leave you alone for the time being. The funeral is planned for 11 A.M. We hope to see you there. After all, you were the only person besides his brother that he loved more than himself." _

_As the military personnel left, she screamed with all her might and cursed him for breaking his promise. _

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry's eyes flashed open from the horrible reoccurring nightmare. After turning on the lamp, she wrapped her arms around her to try to calm her nerves as she felt goose bumps crawl up her arms. She noticed his red coat had fallen onto the floor so she picked it up and slipped her arms into it.

Suddenly, a small voice echoed through the room saying, "Mommy? You okay? I heard screams."

Winry looked over to the door and saw Eddie standing with his teddy bear in his arms. She slid out of her bed and walked over to him before picking him up. "Thanks Sweetie. That was thoughtful of you to check on me."

"Did you dream of Daddy again?" little Eddie asked as Winry brought him to her bed.

"Yes." Was all she could say.

"If you want, Mommy, I go to his sleeping place and wake him up! Then you won't be sad."

"Oh Sweetie," Winry hugged him, "It doesn't work that way. Daddy won't ever come back. He's gone for good." Winry started to cry as she remembered her nightmare—an exact replica of the events that happened nearly four months ago.

"But you always said Daddy will come back." Eddie replied.

"I did, Sweetie. But that was before…" she couldn't finish her sentence. For the past four months, all Winry could do to keep herself from taking her own life was to think of Eddie. He already didn't have one parent. It would be selfish to have him lose two.

"Did Daddy love me?" Eddie asked.

Winry quivered her lip when she heard his question. She never told Edward about Eddie. She didn't want Ed to quit his research because he was needed. She couldn't ask him to come back after he had just left. That would be selfish.

"Yes, Sweetie. Daddy loved you more than the entire world." She replied, knowing that if Edward were to ever know he had a son, he would love him dearly.

"If he loved me, why did he leave?" Eddie asked, confused.

"Eddie, you listen to me carefully. Your father would have never left you willingly. He was taken from us for reasons we can't explain. I wish I could bring him back. I do. But your father taught me something very important that he would want us to live by."

"What?"

"He said that when people go away and cannot come back, it is best to let them leave." She replied. "You'll understand when you're older, Eddie. I promise." She whispered before kissing his golden hair.

"Okay Mommy." He responded before falling asleep in his mother's arms.

'Oh Eddie. If only you knew your father.' She thought as she silently cried herself to sleep.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry woke up to the light of the morning sun and noticed Eddie was still wrapped in her arms. She smiled. 'And you're the reason I am alive today, my little Eddie.'

She slipped off the bed, grabbed a clean pair of clothes and walked to the bathroom. She quickly showered and dressed for the day, knowing business was going to be very hectic. Since Pinako's death, Winry had become a fulltime Automail mechanic and almost couldn't leave the house. Aside from her motherly duties, she was constantly fixing up Automail. Whenever she didn't have much to do, she always worked on Automail for him….in case he was to ever come home.

She woke Eddie and told him to get dressed before he could eat breakfast. The toddler hopped off the bed and did as he was told, knowing he didn't want to further sadden his mommy. He wanted to see her smile again and he would do all he can to make that happen.

After Winry hung the laundry, she opened the shop for the day.

'Well the first appointment isn't for another hour…I'll start cleaning the house.' She thought, knowing Eddie was probably playing with Sammie, their new Shiba Inu.

Most of the day went well. The business flew by fast and she had just finished her last customer for the day.

"Mommy, can me and Sammie play outside?" Eddie asked as he tugged on her apron.

"Sure…Stay within my sight though. I'll be unpinning the laundry."

"Kay!" Eddie exclaimed as he and Sammie ran out of the house.

Winry couldn't help but silently giggle. 'He's more like Ed everyday…'

As she folded each individual laundry material, she stopped when she saw Ed's red coat hanging.

Suddenly, she froze, remembering words Brigadier General Mustang had said the day they brought his body home. '_If it wasn't for the golden hair and his red coat, we wouldn't have recognized him.' _ 'Red coat….red coat…How could Ed be found in his red coat if….if he left his coat with me? H-how…Is it p-possible? I m-mean it could have been anyone with gold hair and a red coat….It could have been a decoy….W-what if…'

Winry couldn't finish her statement. She ran to Eddie and picked he and Sammie up. "I'm taking you two to Pamela's. I need her to watch you for a while."

"Will I get to play with Thomas?" Eddie asked.

"Yes. You will." Winry replied as she took her son and puppy to Pamela's.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

"Winry, what a nice surprise!" Pamela smiled. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes…I need…you…to…watch Eddie and Sammie….until I return…" Winry panted, out of breath.

"Certainly. When will you be back?"

"A few hours…give or take." Winry replied.

"Alright. Well I hope everything is alright." She stated as she took Eddie from Winry's arms and Winry released Sammie into the house."

"Thanks. I appreciate this." Winry bowed before leaving abruptly.

She ran as fast as she could, not caring who was watching. All she cared about was where she was headed and the results.

She ran to the cemetery and told the guard, "Please…I need to do something."

"What is it ma'am?"

"I…I was here for months ago when my fiancé was buried. I need to dig his grave up. I know this may sound ridiculous but I need to. I have to."

"Miss…I can't let you do that. This is federal property and digging up a grave is a violation to federal law."

"PLEASE! I DON'T THINK HE'S IN THERE!" Winry shouted.

"Miss…We check all coffins before they are buried. All bodies are accounted for. Besides, after four months, his body would be decayed by now."

"No! I need to see his body! I need to!" Winry screamed.

"Listen, if you want proof, go to the local morgue. They take care of all the bodies and take pictures of them before they are placed in the coffins." The guard said.

"B-but he was placed in a military coffin!"

"If that were the case, then you would have to go to Central. They are the ones who take care of the military personnel." He replied.

Winry said nothing.

She just ran.

She ran as fast as she could to the train station.

She needed to find out.

She had to.

If there was any slight chance that he could be alive, she was going to find it no matter what the costs.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

_**KF: Okay so this is a trial fic. **_

_**I want to see if people like this chapter before I continue. **_

_**Thanks, that is all. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Where the Heart Leads**

**Keiko Fujiwara**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMAB**

**鋼の錬金術****師**

The moment the train arrived in Central, Winry bolted from the locomotive and did not stop running until she found the Central Command Center.

"She started running up the steps and pushed the doors open in desperation.

"Please! I have to see Brigadier General Mustang! It is urgent!" Winry shouted to the receptionist.

"I'm sorry but the Brigadier General is out for dinner with his wife. He won't be in until tomorrow." The woman replied. "Would you like me to take a message?"

"NO! I WOULD NOT LIKE YOU TO TAKE A GODDAMN MESSAGE! I NEED TO SPEAK TO HIM! WHERE DID HE GO?!" Winry yelled.

"Ma'am, you should take a seat. You're obviously tired and need some rest. I'll call someone to escort you home."

"But I can't! I came all the way from Risembool to talk to him! I need to! I left my son with a friend at last second and need to t—"

"Winry?" a familiar voice called from behind her.

Winry whipped around and saw Riza staring at her. "Is that you, Winry?"

Winry nodded.

"What's wrong?!" Riza asked as she walked closer to the poor woman.

"Colonel Mustang! What are you doing here?! I thought you would be with your husband right now!" the receptionist stated.

"I am…I mean, we were about to leave when I realized I left my coat in the office. I came in here and well, noticed all of this was going on." Riza replied. "Winry, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

"I r-realized something important and if I don't find out my answers, I'll never know! I need to see the photos of him before he was placed in his coffin!" Winry pleaded.

"I-I'm sorry…That's not possible. It is restricted to nonmilitary members."

"Isn't there some way for me to see them? Ed could be alive! You see, he couldn't have been wearing his red coat when you found him! He left his coat with me so there would be a reason to come back. I know that sounds dumb but to me, it was another way of saying he loves me. He'd rather come home and settle down then journey anymore! Please! I need to see them!"

"Winry…" Riza sighed. "I'll take you to the Brigadier General. Maybe he can arrange for you to see them."

Winry nodded.

"I'll be right back, Winry. I need to grab my jacket so you just wait here, okay?"

Again, she nodded and watched as the Colonel left her side.

'I know Edward is alive! He has to be! He has to be!'

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Brigadier General Mustang saw his wife walking down the stairs but also noticed someone following her. 'Who could th—Winry?! What is she doing in Central?'

Roy stepped out of his car and greeted his wife.

"Hello, Dear. I hope I haven't kept you long." Riza smiled.

Roy looked at her and then Winry, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, I went in to retrieve my jacket and when I entered the Command Center, Winry was practically yelling at the receptionist." Riza chuckled. "She has some important matters to discuss with you. I think it would be wise if you hear her out."

"Alright. The three of us may talk over dinner. Does that sound alright, Winry?" Roy asked.

"I-I don't want to intrude!" Winry stated.

"It's alright. Dinner happens every night so Riza and I can easily reschedule our plans." Roy smiled. "Are you okay with that?"

She nodded and followed the two into the car.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Roy asked politely.

"W-well…I h-have reason t-to believe Edward i-is alive." She spoke nervously.

"Winry, I saw the body myself. Though I couldn't notice his face, it was indeed Edward Elric. We are very thorough in our cases." Roy replied.

"Honey, I suggest you hear her out. Go ahead, Winry." Riza smiled kindly.

After the waiter delivered their food, Winry finally spoke up. "You see…I remember you telling me that all you find to determine his identity was his red coat and his golden hair."

"That is correct."

"Well, how could Edward be found wearing his red coat when I had his red coat all along? He even told me he didn't plan on getting a new one because he wanted it to resemble our relationship. He left his coat with me so I wouldn't feel lonely. He said that it was his favorite treasure and will return. Again, how was Ed found in his coat when I know for a fact he didn't have it?"

"You make an interesting case, Winry but I'm pretty sure our forensics isn't wrong. I cannot show you any pictures of the body, but I can show you the red coat if that will make you feel better." Roy replied.

Winry nodded, "Thanks Brigadier General."

"Anyhoo, how is life in Risembool?" Roy asked as he ate his food.

"It's quiet…Eddie is a handful though…Just like his father was…is…" Winry stated with a hint of sadness.

"Wait…Eddie? Who is Eddie?" Roy questioned.

Winry had forgotten she hadn't told anyone about Eddie. She didn't bring him to the funeral because she didn't think it was appropriate for the almost three-year-old_**. (A/N: Yes, Eddie is almost three. I'm sorry if his speech did not sound like a 3 year old. I suck at writing statements that young kids would say so please, bear with me ^_^)**_

"Eddie is my son…Ed is his father." Winry replied boldly.

"Winry, why didn't you tell us about this?!" Riza asked.

"I didn't want people to know about him. Edward had people after him and I wasn't sure if there were still people after him. Also, even though Ed had lost his Alchemy, people would expect greatness from any child of his. So that's why I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want Eddie taken away from me because of his Alchemic skill."

"Hold your horses…Eddie is what, three? How can he perform Alchemy at such a young age?!" Roy asked, slightly confused.

"Well…you know what they say…the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Eddie, for a three-year-old is incredibly smart. He's already trying to get his hands on some of Ed's books." She replied.

"Winry…you do know that since Ed has been reported dead, you are eligible to receive Ed's military salary. He has a son and I'm sure you could use the extra money to help." Riza stated.

"But…if I even accept that, people will know about Eddie. I can't risk it!" she answered.

"Just think it over." Riza smiled. "Now…we should finish our meal before we let you see the coat."

"Right…"

**鋼の錬金術****師**

As the three walked into Central Command, Winry asked if she could borrow a telephone for the moment.

Roy nodded and showed her where the nonmilitary telephone line was and she called Pamela.

"Hello?"

"Hi Pamela, it's me…Winry. Something came up and I won't be able to return until tomorrow. Can you watch Eddie until then?"

"Of course! He and Thomas are having so much fun! Just come home when you can. No worries!" Winry heard Pamela smile through her voice.

"Thanks. Can I talk to Eddie?"

"Of course!"

Winry heard a bit of rustling in the background and then an 'Eddie! Your mommy is on the phone!'

"Mommy?"

"Hi Sweetie. Listen, I want you to be a good boy until I get home."

"When will you come home?"

"Sometime tomorrow. I promise. You do everything Mrs. Pamela says, alright?"

"Kay! Love you Mommy!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Love you too Doodlebug." Winry smiled before hanging up. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Right this way, Winry." Riza stated and Winry followed her down three flights of stairs.

"This is where we keep our evidence for death cases. Roy went ahead to retrieve the coat."

"Alright." Winry replied.

The two women arrived to their destination and Roy held out the coat. Winry could see bloodstains covering the red material. "May I?"

"Sure…first, put these gloves on." Roy stated.

"Okay." Winry responded as she slipped the white gloves over her tiny fingers.

She held the coat into the air and imagined Ed inside of it. Suddenly she gasped and fell to her feet as she started to cry.

"We're sorry, Winry. We know how much painful this must be for you." Riza stated.

"N-no! D-don't be! I'm relieved!" she managed to say.

"R-relieved?" Roy asked.

"Yes…This coat…it isn't Ed's. In fact…It isn't even the right size! You see….Ed's coat is larger than this small red one. If you found this on him six years ago, maybe it would have been Ed. But Ed has grown taller and bulkier. There's no way that Alchemy Freak would fit into this!"

"A-are you saying Fullmetal is alive?! That our forensics made a mistake!?" Roy asked, surprised.

"Yes! Ed is alive! He's alive! He probably faked his death so no one would search for him! I can't believe it! My Ed is alive!" Winry smiled with happiness. "Thank goodness!"

Riza smiled for Winry. "Come Winry. You can stay at our place for the night. We'll let you have the guest room."

"T-thank you!" Winry cried with happiness. 'Oh Ed! I knew it! I knew you were alive!'

"We should get the word out to Al right away." Roy stated.

"No!" Winry replied. "I mean, it wouldn't be wise. If Ed did indeed fake his death, he would have wanted it to be real. If Al found out right now, he would try to find Ed. It is best, at least for the time being, to keep this quiet. I'm sure there are more clues to his whereabouts. I'm sure."

"Very well. Let's go home…It's been quite the day." Roy stated as he put the coat back in its evidence box.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**KF: Well, that's it for chapter two. :) REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Where the Heart Leads**

**Keiko Fujiwara**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMAB**

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry shortly left the Mustangs after eating breakfast. She wanted to go home as soon as possible to tell Eddie of the great news! She was ecstatic! She literally leaped and skipped as she made her way to the train. Only two questions remained in her mind the whole ride home: Why did Ed fake his death? and Why did he not return home?

In all reality, she couldn't really care at the moment. Knowing Ed, he always had good reasons to back up his decisions. She went to Pamela's and picked up Eddie after graciously thanking her friend for watching her son.

"Hi Mommy! Guess what!?" Eddie beamed as his mom carried him home, with Sammie walking close by.

"What?" Winry laughed.

"Mrs. Pamela taught me ABCs in sign language!"

"Really? Well, you're going to have to show me when we get home. But, before that, I have some great news to tell you, Sweetie." Winry smiled.

"What's that?" Eddie asked.

"I found out that your daddy isn't gone! One day, hopefully soon, he'll be able to come home!"

"Daddy is coming home?!"

"Soon, Sweetie…I hope."

The pair went the rest of the trip home in silence and she fixed the two of them lunch.

After she set down the plates, she heard a knock on the door. She walked over to the door and opened it. "Yes?"

She was hoping it to be a certain State Alchemist but saddened when the visitor was only Allan—the man Winry hired to help with the handiwork around the yard and house. He always wore sunglasses and baggy work clothes whenever he came over and this visit wasn't any different.

"Sorry to bother you, Miss. I had come by earlier and no one was home. I was wondering if you needed any work done since last week." He stated.

Every time Allan spoke, images of Ed would pop into her mind. For some reason, his voice sounded a lot like Ed's but because she thought her fiancé was dead, she thought nothing of it.

"Allan?"

"Yes Miss?"

"H-have we met before?" she asked.

"N-no…I don't believe so, Miss. I reckon I would remember a pretty sight like you anywhere." He replied.

"Right…Sorry…Oh and yes, it seems like my bedroom door handle is broken. I can't seem to lock it no matter how hard I try. Would you mind fixing it?" she asked, still thinking she's met him somewhere before.

"Of course! I brought all of my tools so I'll start on it right away." He smiled.

Winry let him in and suddenly slapped her face. 'Damn! He doesn't know about Eddie!'

"A-allan—before you go upstairs, I want you to meet someone...That way he doesn't startle you while you work diligently.

"Alright Miss. You're the boss." He replied.

Winry walked over to the kitchen and picked up Eddie. "Would you like to meet someone?"

"Is it Daddy?" Eddie asked with large golden eyes.

"N-no. It is Allan…the handyman. Since he's always worked on outside projects, he has yet to meet you." She whispered as she brought Eddie to Allan.

Behind his shades, he widened his eyes. "Y-you have a k-kid!?"

"Yes, Allan. I'm sorry if this has come to a rather large surprise. This is Eddie, my son."

Allan was speechless at first but managed to clear his throat. "Not that I mean to pry, Miss, but where's his father?"

"Oh…well he's away. He went on a journey and has yet to return but I have high hopes for him. He'll be home before I know it!" she smiled.

"T-that's good to hear. I mean, it would be a shame if your husband came back and found out you had settled down with another." He replied.

"O-Oh, Eddie's father isn't my husband, Allan!"

"Really? I just assum—"

"Ed—Eddie's father—is my fiancé…." Winry blushed.

"He must be very lucky then, Miss Winry." Allan smiled before saying, "Now, if you don't mind, I best be getting to that door."

"G-go right ahead!" she stammered and then walked back into the kitchen. 'It seems rather odd how an almost perfect stranger could be so easy to talk to. He reminds me so much of Ed…He certainly has the same length hair even though he has brown hair rather than gold….Oh, Edward, where are you?'

"Mommy? That man from before…He looked a lot like Daddy in the pictures." Eddie stated, shaking Winry from her thoughts.

"Really? You think so?" Winry asked as she put the sandwiches on their plates.

"Yeah…and Mommy?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"Are you going to fix his metal leg like you did Daddy's?" he asked, throwing Winry off-guard.

"What makes you think he has a metal leg like Daddy does, Eddie?"

"His left leg makes a clanky noise when he walks….I heard it as he went up the steps."

"You did, did you?" Winry asked, but as she thought more about this Allan, she could draw so many similarities between him and Ed.

She found it interesting enough when he arrived shortly after Edward's funeral looking for work. She, at the time, was very reluctant and did not want any help from anyone but he continued to persist. She eventually gave in and specifically told him that she didn't have much so she couldn't pay him well. She smiled at the thought when she remembered that he didn't mind the low pay because he only wanted to help. 'He certainly is the same height as Ed…Maybe they knew each other…'

"Eddie, you n—Eddie? Where did you go?"

While Winry was deep in her thoughts, Eddie had already placed his plate on the counter and made his way to find Allan.

"Hiya!" Eddie stated as he saw Allan working on the handle.

"Hey Squirt. What're you up to?" Allan asked.

"Just wondering—do you like my mommy?" he boldly asked.

Allan paused for a second but then continued his handiwork. "W-what makes you think that?"

"You always look at her with special eyes. I've never seen anyone give my mommy such special eyes before. I figured it was because you have a crush on her."

Suddenly, Winry came up the steps and said, "Eddie, are you bothering Mr. Allan?"

"N-no, Mommy. I'm just asking him a question."

"Did you get your answer?" Winry laughed.

"No….You came up before he could answer…" Eddie replied.

"Aw, I'm sorry for interrupting. You'll just have to wait for an answer later, Sweetie. I've got something I would like to speak alone with Mr. Allan."

"Oh okay…" Eddie answered before hopping down the stairs to play with Sammie.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Miss?" Allan asked.

"First, I would like to apologize for my son's behavior. He likes to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. In many ways, he acts just like his father always did." She laughed.

"I'm glad you have your son to remind you of such good times." Allan replied.

Winry blushed again. "My son says you have an automail leg. Is that true?" Winry asked.

Once again, Allan paused… "Y-yes…Had it for years."

"Well, I'd have to say, that little Eddie of mine sure takes after his mother too! Maybe he'll become an Automail mechanic!" she smirked; proud her son could pick up on such detail at such a young age.

"Eddie seems bright for his age."

"Yes…he is. Just like his father was." She replied with a smile. "Say, would you mind if I took a look at your leg?"

"Not at all, Miss. But it'll have to be after I'm done with this door. It shouldn't be long now. Say, you said you're an automail engineer right?"

"Yes."

"Then why have me fix this door when you're capable of it yourself?"

"Oh…Um…Well, it was the only task I could think of that needed some type of work." She answered.

"Fair enough. All done!" he stated as he placed a screw driver in his box.

"Good! Now, come into my workshop! I wanna look at that leg." She replied as she literally pulled him into her workshop.

"That's quite the collection of Automail you have…" Allan stated as he saw at least 20 models of the same size and shape leg.

"Oh those? Those are limbs for my fiancé. I just decided to make them so I wouldn't have so many all-nighters."

"You must love him."

"With all my heart." Winry smiled as she accidentally dropped her favorite wrench. As Allan helped to pick up the wrench, his sunglasses fell off, revealing the color of his eyes for the first time.

Winry gazed into his eyes and gasped as she recognized the very color Allan possess—Gold.

Without a word, Winry couldn't stop gazing into his stare...

The captivation of his eyes drew her closer to his current position. Her lips nearly touched his but she realized her situation and jumped two feet back.

"I'm so sorry! That was out of line for me!" she stammered. "I thought you were someone else!"

Without warning, Allan slipped his pants off, causing Winry to blush. "You're gonna look at my automail, right?"

"Y-yeah…"

She gave the limb one glance and noticed that this model wasn't just any Automail model. It was her model—and there was only one person she knew who wore this special prototype.

Winry looked into Allan's eyes and her voice cracked, "E-edward?"

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**Well I will end ch. 3 right here. BAHAHAHA :3 **

**I hope you are enjoying it thus far. **

**Important note: **

**Because I have just started school again, writing/uploading will be more spread out. .**

**Sowwy :(**

**Anyways, Have a great Labor Day! ^_^**

**Keiko Fujiwara**


	4. Chapter 4

**Where the Heart Leads**

**Keiko Fujiwara**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMAB**

**鋼の錬金術****師**

_**She gave the limb one glance and noticed that this model wasn't just any Automail model. It was her model—and there was only one person she knew who wore this special prototype. **_

_**Winry looked into Allan's eyes and her voice cracked, "E-edward?" **_

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Allan froze. He didn't think his cover would have been blown so soon. "H-hey Win."

Winry inhaled slowly. She didn't know what to think at this very moment. She wanted so much to hug him and kiss him but she also wanted to clobber him for taking so damn long to come home.

Before she could do anything, he wrapped his arms around her and said, "I missed you."

Instinctively, she brought her arms around his back and held onto him tightly. "W-what took you s-so long?"

"I felt like I was digging into something I shouldn't have in Creta. I wanted to come home, I did but I was afraid to endanger you. So I faked my death by using a dummy. I also left a fake red coat there in case you were able to figure out the clue. I knew you'd find me." He smirked.

Suddenly, she grabbed the closest wrench and rammed it into his head. "YOU JERK! YOU SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN! YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, EDWARD! I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Win. I really am. I wish you didn't have to go through that but I felt it was necessary to make my death seem real. This is our chance to finally live a normal life, Winry. The military thinks I'm dead so we won't have any interference from them! We can finally live the way we want to!" he replied.

"Brigadier General and Colonel Mustang know you're alive, Edward. But besides them and me, no one else knows. Not even Al."

"Al knows." Ed replied. "I went to Xing to let him know that I was alive. Since Xing is too far for Cretians, I thought it would be safe to let him know. Apparently the military found my fake body two months after I created it. I stayed with Al for two months before finding my way back to you. I decided it wouldn't be best to make an appearance until after the funeral. I disguised myself as Allan and became your handyman. I thought it was the best way, at the time, to watch over you and make sure you were okay. And E-eddie as well."

"Y-you're not mad at me for keeping him a secret from you, are you?"

"No, not at all! I mean, if it were me, I wouldn't want the whole damn world knowing about him either. You were smart, Win. Truly." He smiled.

"Why didn't you let me know it was you? All this time I could have been sleeping without the nightmares! Why?!" she started to cry.

Ed hated seeing her cry. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if it was safe yet. In fact, it wasn't my plan for you to find out like this. If it weren't for Eddie's talented observation skills, I would have gotten away with it a lot longer."

"N-now that everything's out in the open, what do you plan to do?" Winry asked.

"Well, I was hoping you would marry me and we could finally be a family." He grinned. "In fact, I want you to marry me today!"

"Today?! What about Al? Don't you think he would want to be there?!"

"He said in these exact words: Find Winry and marry her the day you do. I don't need to see a ceremony to know that you two will be extremely happy. Just write me when you do marry."

"He said that? Al?" Winry gave Ed a strange look.

"Yeah. I was surprised myself but if that is his wish, I have no complaints." He smirked and said as he placed his thumb and forefinger upon her chin, "I don't need a large ceremony to prove how much I love you, Winry. All I need is you and our son and that's good enough for me!"

Winry wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him into a kiss. She has yearned for his touch for so long. She poured everything into this one kiss because, at one time, she thought she would never feel his lips upon hers again.

Ed wrapped his arms around her as if to protect her from the world and continued to accept everything she gave him in this one kiss. Nothing could tear them a part. He wouldn't allow it.

Except one little detail….

"Mommy? What's going on?"

Ed and Winry departed and laughed, totally not expecting Eddie's interference.

Winry walked over to Eddie and picked him up. "Sweetie, I want you to meet someone."

She carried him over to Ed and said, "This is your father, Eddie."

Eddie looked at Edward with a confused look. "I thought Daddy had my hair."

Winry and Ed snickered and Ed said, "My hair is normally gold, Squirt. I changed it to hide from bad people."

"Oh…" Then he held out his hand and said as formally as a three year old could, "Hi! My name is Edward Elric! Mommy calls me Eddie though."

Ed looked at Winry for a split moment with appreciation that she named Eddie with his last name. "Hello Eddie! Guess what my name is."

"What?!"

"My name is Edward Elric. It's nice to meet you." Ed smiled.

Eddie's eyes widened. "Mommy! He has my name!"

"Yes, Sweetie, he does. I named you after him."

"You did?"

"I sure did!" Winry smiled as she rubbed her nose with Eddie's.

"Hey Squirt, what do you think of the idea of me staying with you guys from now on?"

"You mean you'll get to really be my Daddy?" Eddie asked with big eyes.

"Yep! But for that to happen, we need to go to the local judge." Ed winked at Winry.

"Really?! Then we better go then!" he stated as he squirmed out of Winry's hold. He grabbed both his parents' hands and pulled them out of the house. Winry and Edward couldn't help but laugh at their son's persistence.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

On their way to the court, they bumped into Brigadier General Mustang and Colonel Mustang.

"Winry? We were just on our way to check up on you." Riza smiled. "We wanted to make sure you arrived safely and that everything is alright."

"Everything is great!" she grinned.

Roy noticed Edward carrying Eddie behind Winry and said, "Who're you?"

"Funny you should ask that you no good excuse of a Flame Alchemist." Ed smirked.

"NO GOOD FL—WAIT, FULLMETAL!?" Mustang shouted.

"Shhhhh! No one is supposed to know I'm alive!" Edward stated.

"You're not very good at hiding your identity when carrying a miniature version of yourself." Roy replied.

"Fooled you, didn't I?"

Roy opened his mouth to protest but couldn't find the words to defend his self. Finally he said, "It is funny how you called me a no good excuse of a Flame Alchemist when the Fullmetal Alchemist can't even perform alchemy anymore."

"Who said I didn't have my alchemy anymore?" Ed asked, causing everyone to look at him.

Ed rolled his eyes and said, "Long story short: While I was in Xing, Al found a safe way to transmute me to his gate. I was able to retrieve my alchemy back."

"For what price?!" Roy demanded.

"Oh…That? I outsmarted that little bastard. I said that if he gave me back my Alchemy, I'll never bother him again. He hated always seeing me trying to make deals with him so he, with hesitation, accepted my offer." He smirked.

"You sly dog." Roy stated. "Who knew you could outsmart him once again!"

"I've had practice."

"Anyway, where're you two off to this afternoon?" Riza asked.

"We're off to get married!" Winry smiled. "We were on our way to the Judge before we bumped into you two."

"Just wondering…How are you two going to marry if Edward is dead? I'm sure they'll check the records…"

"Have you no faith in me? I arrived about two days before my funeral. I knocked out the guy who was supposed to make records of my name in all the documents and wrote Edward Allan Elric instead of just Edward Elric. I added a middle name because most people wouldn't think twice that it is a different name."

"And what is your true middle name?"

"I don't have one. That's the grand beauty of it. By the way, I also was able to get ahold of my birth certificates. I changed those to Edward Allan Elric as well. That way, the Cretians will actually think I'm dead.

"I have to say, that's pretty brilliant of you." Roy stated. "Do you want me to tamper with your military files and change your name to Edward Allan Elric?"

"Yeah. That would be great." Ed smiled.

"Roy! You're not supposed to do that!" Riza stated.

"Relax, Riza. I'm the only one allowed to touch Edward's files anyways so I can easily change the name."

"Edward," Winry finally said, "I know you've meant well but what about you? I mean, do you even have a birth certificate for just Edward Elric?"

"Glad you asked, my dear Winry." Ed smirked. "I also managed to create false documents and created a different name for myself."

"Which is?" Winry was dying to know.

"William Edward Elric. That way, when you call me Ed in public, people won't get confused. So you will be marrying a William rather than an Edward but, hey, I'm still me!"

Suddenly Eddie spoke, "Does that mean my name will be Willie instead?"

The adults laughed and Winry said, "No, Sweetie. You'll still be Eddie."

"Yay! I get to keep my name!" he exclaimed.

Ed laughed and said as he looked at Winry, "Well, now that everything is explained, you ready to get hitched?"

Winry took ahold of his free hand and said, "You bet!"

"Do you need any witnesses?" Riza asked.

"Oh! I never thought about that!" Winry exclaimed as she took Eddie from Edward. "Oh, and we will need someone to watch Eddie for a few nights…"

"Why is that?" Ed asked.

"Just because we're not having a traditional wedding, doesn't mean you're getting out of a honeymoon, mister." She stated as she jabbed Edward in the chest with her pointer finger.

"Oh. Right." He blushed.

Riza finally said, "We can look after Eddie for a few days. I mean, we did come here for vacation time. That way, he'll still be close by in case he needs either one of you."

"Great! Sounds like a plan!" Edward smiled as he anxiously started pulling Winry towards the court office.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**Keiko Fuijiwara: **

**Alright, **

**Chapter 4 is finished :)**

**I have to say, so far I'm enjoying this fic as much as most of you! I promise to update asap but well, school is a priority. **

**More to come XD**

**By the way, I am soooooo sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. .**


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